Slave to the Music
by Charon the Sabercat
Summary: An aspiring death metal band summons a demon to boost their popularity. They get Jack. And of the whole band, the only one on Jack's side is the singer's sister, Sally. Yes, it's alternate universe. No, it's not a Mary Sue. DONE WITH A REDONE ENDING!
1. Chapter 1

Slave to the Music

An alternate universe fanfiction, I'm sorry to admit. An aspiring death metal band decides it needs some less-than-divine intervention, and summons a demon from hell. Instead, they get Jack from Halloween Town. It seems the only one sympathetic to the poor skeleton's plight is the lead singer's sister, a woman named Sally. My first PG-13 for for minor swearing and… let's call it aggressive flirting. Oh yeah, and attempted demon summoning.

* * *

Deathplosion was the newest death metal band in town. It consisted of several suburbanite men with nothing better to do, but nobody told them that. They believed they were the next phenomenon to hit the music industry since Curtis Wolfbane. Or, at least, they would be. They just needed a kick-start. 

"And that!" explained Sid, the lead singer, "Is why we are here!" He, a scrawny 28-year-old with wispy red hair and a rather round face, lost his imposing leader pose for a moment. "Sally! Where are the Cheese Munchies?!"

A female voice rang in from the kitchen. "Um, I think you ate them all already!"

Sid turned at his waist towards the kitchen door. "No I didn't!"

The doorknob twitched, and soon Sally had nearly fallen through the door carrying at least four 2-liter bottles of various sodas. "Well, then, maybe one of your friends must have, and-"

"Sally…" Sid growled. "For the last time. They are not my friends. They are my band mates."

"Yeah," mentioned another Sid, this one the rhythm guitarist. "We're his band mates, because… we, like, are… his mates and we play… in his band."

Sally placed the bottles of soda on the coffee table and tried not to laugh. "Thank you very much, Fr-"

Rhythm guitarist Sid nearly jumped out of his chair. The sudden movement sent Sally flying backwards into Drummer Sid and Bass Player Sid. "SID!"

Lead Singer Sid pointed to Rhythm guitarist Sid and glared at him with enough force to drive him back into the chair. "Don't muss with my sister, Sid! You nearly ruined the sodas!"

"Sid! Sid, right!" Sally stuttered, trying to get her footing. "Sid! I'm sorry, Sid!"

Lead Singer Sid growled and mentally pushed everyone back into their seats. "Okay, now everybody be quiet. I have found the solution to all our problems."

Drummer Sid crossed his arms and leaned coolly back in his chair. "You mean our total lack of stage presence or our total lack of talent?"

Lead Singer Sid glared at Drummer Sid. "Shut up, Sid."

"I didn't say anything!" moaned Rhythm Guitarist Sid.

"Not you!" Lead Singer Sid groaned. "I'm talking about-

He slammed a thin leather book onto the coffee table, knocking over several of the soda bottles. (Sally mentally went "Hey!" but kept her mouth shut.) It was heavily bound, as if it were originally intended to be a much bigger volume, but it was barely any wider than a children's picture book. The trim and the thread in the spine were a faded yellow, and the leather was turning black and starting to stink. There were no words, illustrations, or any hints as to what the book would be about in any way shape or form. It was just a thin leather book.

"This."

Drummer Sid scoffed. "Great. You've got the newest collection of Alan Lee drawings."

Sally lowered her eyes, murmuring to herself. "I like Alan Lee…"

Lead Singer Sid hissed. "No. This book appeared in a flash of light while I was down in the basement, and when it did, the room got cold. That could only mean one thing. This…

He picked up the book and displayed it to his band mates (and sister), delicately stroking its spine. "Is a book of demonic summoning."

"DUDE!" went the Sids. Sally gasped and pressed back as far as she could into the chair she was sitting against.

Lead Singer Sid cuddled the book to his chest. "If we summon our very own demon to play for us, we'll be instant billionaires! Even the most metal of metal bands don't have their own demon!"

Lead Guitarist Sid leaned forward, squinting to see any details he could have missed. "Quick, turn it on! Turn it on!"

The until-then-unheard Bass Guitarist Sid raised his hand. "Shouldn't we take a vote on this? All in favor raise your hand!"

The Sid's hands all darted up. Sally faltered for a moment, chest pounding in fear, but the collective glares of the Sids force her hand into the air.

Bass Guitarist Sid clapped his hands together joyfully. "I love it when we all agree on something!"

Drummer Sid put his hand on Bass Guitarist Sid's shoulder. "Sid, stop being happy. You're ruining the band's image."

Bass Guitarist Sid thought for a second. "Okay!"

Lead Singer Sid sighed one last time and began reading the text.

"Sih nih ted seehee…" he scratched his head. "Uni ti-no-kee amy…"

"Sid, you're messing up the incantation!" Drummer Sid wailed.

"Maybe this is a sign we shouldn't do it-"

"Shut up, Sally," Lead Guitarist Sid growled.

"Right," Sally whispered and looked back to her lap.

"Mm-red nerrus why-berry hi dead-knee-"

Bass Guitarist Sid chirped. "Let me try!"

Lead Singer Sid stopped kept going, "Ih-lit nunny ap-foe…"

Rhythm Guitarist Sid now scratched his head. "Maybe it won't work if he doesn't pronounce it right."

"That's why I should do it!" Bass Guitarist Sid explained. "I'm good at reading! I got accelerated reader status in ele-"

Drummer Sid growled, "Sid, shut up. That's so unmetal."

"Right," Bass Guitarist Sid whispered and looked back to his lap.

"Ethan ommusi insert purpose here- oh crap!"

The Sids groaned collectively; Lead Singer Sid had flubbed! Lead Singer Sid pushed the book into Sally's arms. "Here, you do it!" ("Hey!" yelled Bass Guitarist Sid.)

Sally pushed the book away from her, holding in tenderly at arm's length. Her shivering fingers made the book feel like it was moving, like something was clawing under the cover to be let out. "I-I-I don't really-"

"Sally!" Lead Singer Sid nearly screamed, "If you're going to be a death metal-head like us, you cannot be afraid of a harmless demonic summoning! Now HURRY UP!"

Sally gulped, the fear of her brother overpowering the fear of the book. She opened the book to the only page and began.

"Sih nih taed sihe uni tnocy ameh tah tosdlro. Wsi htine fily mred nerrus ybere hi dedne sahec ivress ihlit nuni apfoe. Cnaru ssa niretsam sihnro csotro erusa elpfoe pohnire tsa msih evresot yli. Mafno tgi nglle kseht foelam gnivilt sedle, ethn ommusi-"

Lead Singer Sid suddenly tore the book out of her hands. "Make us the most popular metal band in the universe foeso prupe htrof!"

The room swirled in a flash of light, the wind whipping around the band and Sally. Each flinched and hid under anything and anyone they could, screaming so loud they couldn't hear themselves and waiting for the end. Only Lead Singer Sid had the presence of mind to face the wind, holding the book in front of him like a shield and staring intently at the page.

"WoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA-"

A black mass launched out of the book! It repelled off of Sid's chest-

And tripped over the coffee table. The wind died in an anti-climactic puff, sight instantly coming back to the band mates and Sally. The Sids hurried rushed to the other side of the coffee table, huddling behind their leader. Sally was affixed to her chair, unable to move out of terror. The black mass began to grow, and grow…

And fell over the coffee table again, gangly arms sprawling out and knocking over the remain soda bottles.

They had summoned a stick figure. The thing, whatever it was, had long thing arms and (from what Sally saw) legs, not to mention nonexistent hips and an equally skinny waist. His chest swelled out from the rest of his body like a balloon, matching his spherical white head. His fingers seemed to start at his wrist; the Looney Tune generation adults quickly overlooked the fact that he only had three of them. As his head slowly rose off of the table, it revealed itself to be near identical to the "Have a Nice Day" smiley. The only differences were the notches on his mouth (probably for his teeth) and two little slits for his skeleton nose.

The stick figure's head lolled a bit on his shoulders before he shook himself, a rattling noise coming from his chest. Then it clicked with them; a skeleton! They had summoned a skeleton!

The skeleton rubbed his temples. "Holy shit! That hurt!"

Lead Singer Sid blinked. "_Holy_ shit?"

"Where in blazes…" the skeleton mumbled before shaking his head again. He rose to his feet, towering a good two feet over Lead Singer Sid (the tallest one in the room) and nearly scraping the ceiling with his crown. "What am I doing here?"

"Uh- um-" Lead Singer Sid took a step forward, shins bumping against the coffee table. "I brought you here. I-I summoned you." He pointed to the tome, which was lying spread open on the floor. "W-with the book."

"The book?"

The skeleton looked past the coffee table and saw the corner of the book, which had somehow turned a fresh, healthy brown. "Oh!"

He turned which a flourish and steadied his posture, putting his legs together so he looked like a syringe and holding a hand to his chest. His suit (a nice black-and-white pinstripe) was open at the jacket save for the last two buttons, revealing a clean, white shirt and a bow tie shaped like a bat's head with wings. "No, no, no, _you_ summoned my father. _I_ should not be here."

The Sids looked at each other, confused for a moment, before Lead Singer Sid spoke up again. "But… you're here."

The skeleton looked around again, but now his face seemed… distracted? No one was used to reading an animated skeleton, but something was definitely disturbing him.

"All right…" He rubbed his neck. "I'll play along… for now." With a flip of his head and an audible crink from his joints (it made Sally's stomach jump), he turned his attention back to Lead Singer Sid. "I'm Jack. Jack Skellington, oldest brother of the house of Skellington. And you are?"

Lead Singer Sid felt some of his confidence returning. He went to take a step forward, forgetting he was already touching the coffee table, and rammed his shin into the plywood corner. "J-gah!"

"J-gah?" Jack questioned. "Well, J-gah, nice to meet you."

Sally, despite her terrorized state, started giggling. Jack smiled proudly, not turning his head. "Thank you, I'm glad somebody-" (he addressed the still-in-awe other Sids) "thought that was funny."

"J-gah? That's cool!" cried Bass Guitarist Sid. "Is it too late to change my stage name?"

Drummer Sid grunted, "Yes!"

"Shut up!" Lead Singer Sid finally managed to squeeze out. "I am Sid Ferocious, lead singer of the band Deathplosion.

He put his hand over a short, fat man with straggly black red that almost matched Lead Singer Sid's red. His t-shirt, which didn't quite fit after too many Domino's pizzas, was emblazoned with the Hot Topic logo. "This is Sid Dangerous, lead guitarist.

His hand moved to another man, much taller. With his purple Mohawk and piercings coming out of nearly every orifice, it looked like he hadn't quite left the punk movement just yet. "This is Sid Feral, rhythm guitarist."

Jack waved his hand carelessly, a smirk coming across his face. "I'm starting to detect a pattern." Sally giggled again, and made Jack smile without looking at her.

The next one introduced was a long-haired blonde, a little shorter than Rhythm Guitarist Sid. His clothes and nails were all black, and there were small traces of black makeup around his eyes. "This is Sid Rabid, drummer.

And finally, he passed on to a chipper looking tall man with dark hair and friendly eyes, dressed in bright colors and immediately smiling at Jack with pearly white teeth. "And this is bass guitarist…" Lead Singer Sid lowered his head, cheeks turning partially pink. "Sid Extremely Unfriendly."

Jack burst into a harsh, shrieking laugh and nearly fell onto his back.

"It's a temp name!" Lead Singer Sid roared over the skeleton's laughter. "It's a temp name! We just need to find a thesaurus!"

"Dude, don't say 'thesaurus' in front of the demon," Drummer Sid mumbled. "Very unmetal."

Jack began laughing even louder. "Demon! Oh, that's rich! You guys life me! This is great!"

Jack recovered enough to pull back a section of his sleeve; Lead Singer Sid, Bass Guitarist Sid, and Rhythm Guitarist Sid all saw the rest of Jack's wrist and both of his arm bones. "Look, no flesh. No muscles, no organs, nothing but bone. I am a skeleton." Jack put his hands up to his skull and made little horns with his index fingers. "Demons have little horns and red skin. I know. One lives in my town. He's our local carpenter."

Lead Singer Sid heard the words, but they didn't quite register. "Then why didn't the book send us a demon?"

"Because there are no demons in the Skellington family." Jack popped Lead Singer Sid on the crown of his head. "Hello? Even my skull isn't that empty."

Sally had to cover her mouth with a throw pillow to keep from laughing. Jack felt a warm feeling in his chest, rather like hot chocolate, and was about to turn around to look when Lead Singer Sid caught him by the arm.

"Enough of this shit!" Lead Singer Sid growled. "I summoned you to make my band the most popular band in the universe, so start doing it!"

Jack blinked twice, and odd feat that made the Sids stare.

"That's it?!"

Jack exploded laughing again, and the Sids all groaned and sat down wherever they could.

"I have heard stories," Jack began to explain, "From my grandparents about the stuff they were summoned for! Eternal life, riches, revenge, but you! YOU want me to make your band popular?!" The skeleton had an awful laugh; a shrill "hee hee hee" that didn't fit with his baritone voice. "Oh, God, at least I got someone original! His band! Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!"

Lead Singer Sid felt like he was about to exploded, but with a different emotion. "This is frikkin' GREAT! How are we supposed to make a great death metal band with this?"

The skeleton suddenly stopped laughing. His body was loose, but not limp, and his face was blank. The Sids felt their chests chill collectively; it couldn't be.

Drummer Sid worked up the courage. "Hey… Jack? You _do_ know what death metal is… don't you?"

Jack blinked again, a sight Sally wanted to see again so she could figure out how he did it. Jack put his legs together again, placing one hand on his hip and the other on his chin (now, with his elbows sticking out like they did, he resembled a black stork).

He finally answered, pantomiming the motions as he guessed, "A lead pipe that you beat someone to death with?"

"HUDDLE!"

The Sids rushed to the opposite corner of the room and began whispering to each other. Jack held his arms open, waiting to hear the correct answer, but comically shrugged in defeat.

And that's when he spied Sally, innocently clutching the throw pillow she had been laughing into. She, although still shaking nervously, politely smiled and waved at him.

Jack immediately straightened up, looking refreshed. She looked rather nice, really; nice tanned skin, lovely red hair, and-

"Hi."

She distracted him before he could get a look at her legs. Damn. Maybe later.

Jack slinked into the chair with her, fitting into an inperceivable nook Sally had created in the crook of her legs. He slung one of his arms around her shoulders and effortlessly leaned against her side as if he'd known her his whole life. "Are they always this stupid?"

Sally blushed and became very interested in the pillow she was holding. "I-I wouldn't call it 'stupid'…"

"So they are?"

"Yeah." Sally fluffed her hair lightly. "That's not even their really names."

Jack smiled again, one eye growing rapidly in leu of an eyebrow. Sally giggled again at the sight. "I never would have guessed."

She allowed herself a few minutes to recover, then Sally explained, "They think the stage names are cool. Their real names are Reginald, George, Franklin, Blake, and Kyle."

"Oof!" Jack flinched at the sound of the names, but did it with a smile. "Who's the unlucky one named Reginald?"

It was now Sally's turn to smile. "I went in the same order you did."

The picture of Lead Singer Sid, all 5-foot-11 of him dressed in black leather and chains with a tiny nametag reading "My Name is: Reginald" popped into Jack's hand, and the skeleton laughed again. Sally let a few giggles escape, entertained more by the notion of a laughing skeleton than her brother's goofy name.

"What's your name?" Jack asked. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and lightly touched the bridge of his nose as if mentally punishing himself. "No, wait, how silly of me. It's Sid Mildly Unpleasant, right?"

She offered him her hand. "I'm Sally. Sally Harver."

"Enchanted."

Jack delicately took her hand and kissed it, making Sally giggle and blush even harder. His lips tickled; they were lightly textured and dry, but still warm and soft at the same time. Nothing like she was expecting. She wasn't even expecting the kiss! She just wanted a handshake!

As she giggled, Jack leaned into close to her ear and whispered, "And you think it tickles _there_…"

Sally's entire upper torso turned into a nice shade of magenta. Sally tugged on her shirt collar and curled into a ball. "Oh God!"

"What?" Jack asked, (not quite) innocently holding out his hands in surrender. "I'm not allowed to flirt with a beautiful woman?"

Sally half-moaned/half-squeaked into the throw pillow, making Jack giggle again.

"Okay, that's it!" Lead Singer Sid finally exclaimed as he left the huddle. "I'm sending you back!"

Drummer Sid pointed to Jack. "You're defective."

Jack slumped onto Sally, raising one hand dramatically over himself. "I feel so much love in this room right now."

Lead Singer Sid picked up the book and tried to flip the only page, making himself feel stupid and angrier all at the same time. "There's always a frikkin' counter spell, now where is it?"

But the book suddenly felt very hot in his hands. As if watched, the lone page curled up, and the bold shrunk and folded in on itself and, it a final flash of light…

Transformed into a television remote. With two buttons.

Jack saw the remote and suddenly froze. Sally could feel the area around Jack getting colder, and even a slight shiver coming from Jack's spine. He was afraid.

"S-Sid?" Jack felt a shudder knocking on his tailbone, asking admittance into his neck. "W-w-what is that?"

Lead Singer Sid (Reginald) noticed the writing on the two buttons, and sounded them out loud out of habit. "Pllleeeassuuureee." He looked to the other one. "Pain."

And then a shadow passed over the man's face, and he smiled eerily.

Jack whipped his feet underneath him and started to crawl over the chair, not taking his eyes off of the remote. "Please… don't let that be what I think it is. Come on, you know I was just making a joke? You can't take that laughing seriously, you can't take anything serious about me-"

Lead Singer Sid pressed the "pain" button.

Jack screamed in an unholy wail that made the entire town rattle. The volume of the shriek made the room flinch in pain, and Lead Singer Sid almost immediately released the button. He tried to screw open his eyes, and they finally complied with him after a few seconds of trial and error.

After only a half-second of the "pain" button, Jack had fallen into the ground doubled over in pain. His breath was heavy and forced, and his entire body was shaking. Beads of sweat were dropping off of the corners of his mouth… or were those _tears_?

Sally gasped in shock, looking bad and forth at her brother and Jack but unable to make any words come out. She finally kneeled on the floor next to Jack and tried to lift him back up. The Sids stared in amazement, trying to get a grip both on their sense of reality and sense of up and down…

A grin split Lead Singer Sid's face in half. "Guys… we have got the perfect death metal monster…"

* * *

Uh… I had notes… but I forgot them… I'm not a HUGE fan of death metal, but I do like it, and this isn't a fic to make fun of death meta- well, it is, because it lends itself well to being made fun of. It's more making fun of- you'll get it. Later. Hope this was a relaxing vacation from the Land of the Mary Sue Fic. 


	2. Chapter 2

Slave to the Music

I thank you all for your reviews! Now that I have reached four reviews, my ego is boosted enough to continue! Especially you, IamTheIinTeam! Now that I officially know metal heads are reading this, I can't wait to keep going!

* * *

It took a few hours to find Jack after he finally recovered from the "pain" button. Apparently, the remote (like most televisions) didn't work unless it was pointed directly at the skeleton, so all attempts to find him by sound fell flat. The Sids were forced to search the house, leaving Sally behind to pick up anything they chucked on the floor in desperation. 

Bass Guitarist Sid found him while he was running from the attic to Sally's bathroom. Still, by the time they did finally catch Jack, it was time for the rest of the band to go home. The Sids each took a turn saying goodbye to Jack as they walked out the door, some more pleasantly than others, and finally the skeleton was alone in the house with his new masters.

After a few seconds of tense waiting, Lead Singer Sid waved the remote threateningly in Jack's face, making the skeleton wince and stumble backwards. "You better frikkin' remember who's in charge next time you decide to run off anywhere! Now, come on! I need to sleep for practice tomorrow, and I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Jack, the shock having worn off in a relatively short amount of time, rolled his eye sockets (it made Lead Singer Sid's brain hurt just looking at it). "I don't know, are we ready to take our relationship to that level?"

Sid flicked the button, sending a sharp stab of pain through Jack's chest. He doubled over and grasped his sternum with a grunt. "All right! All right! Ow!"

"Good." Lead Singer Sid smiled proudly and flipped the remote around in his fingers, twirling it like a pistol. "Now, follow me."

"Are you sure I can't stay awake for a little while longer?" Jack asked, rubbing his chest. "I mean, it's only 9 o' clock. I normally don't go to bed for another two hours."

He half-expected Lead Singer Sid to press the "pain" button again- and he did, sending Jack back to the floor. "No you can't!"

"Sid?" Sally called from a back room. "Is something wrong?"

Jack's eyes flashed open, as if something had just occurred to him. "I won't run away! I can't leave your house without your permission anyway, it's part of the summon!"

The blank stare on Lead Singer Sid's face was priceless. Those big, dull eyes took up most of his very round face, making him look like a very dumb owl. Jack resisted the urge to laugh while Lead Singer Sid looked to the side, eyebrows twisting in confusion. "Really?"

"Did you read anything in the book other than the summoning curse?" Jack asked, his voice now sounding a little annoyed.

Lead Singer Sid's stupid face somehow got even stupider. "There was something else?"

Jack slapped his forehead with a sigh. "And I thought your brain was supposed to rot _after_ you died."

He straightened himself up and touched Lead Singer Sid's shoulder lightly, pulling him to his side. "Look, um, Sid, right, why don't I just stay up for a little while longer? I'll help Sally clean up."

He forced Lead Singer Sid to look at his surroundings. The once-blue carpet was now completely covered with assorted junk, ranging from underwear to Twinkie wrappers. The sofa had been ripped apart; the middle cushion was actually sitting on top of the television, while the other two were either in the kitchen or Sally's room, depending on who had grabbed it.

"This place is a mess." Jack leaned back towards Lead Singer Sid. "And I'm dead. I came out of six feet of dirt. I know messy. What do you say? You get a stage prop and a butler. Good deal, no?"

Finally, Lead Singer Sid showed at least a hint of emotion; he nodded his head and shoved the remote into his pocket. "No deal. My room. Now."

"Great. Never mind. Where's your room?"

Lead Singer Sid led Jack through the hallway, past two plain plywood doors and in front of a _black_ plywood door. "My room's in here. It's totally metal. You'll feel right at home."

Jack's lip jutted to the side, and he crossed his arms. He was curious to see what the human thought his home would look like. Lead Singer Sid opened the door-

It was like he kept nighttime bottled up in his room, like the light from the hallway was sucked it and swallowed by it. Every wall, every piece of furniture, every little knick and knack was black. Jack's eyes spun in the lack of light, but when they did finally focus, he wished they hadn't. The one light source was a candle in the shape of a bleeding skull entwined in a gorilla's rotting paw. The man had a different skull for each bedpost, each of them exuding something that wouldn't normally come from a skull (snakes, dragons, blood, and spiders). No matter where the skeleton turned, something threatened to jump out at him. Relatives of his were spitting fire, neighbors were tattooed with swastikas, childhood friends were barely dressed (and in the most revolting situations)!

And what was more, something seeped into his bones. Out of that room came a chilling sense, a hatred that reached out and tried to pull him in from the inside…

And he hadn't even stepped in yet.

"NO!" Jack catapulted backward and fumbled for a doorknob. "NO! I am NOT going in there!"

"What are you talking about?" Lead Singer Sid wailed. "It's gotta look just like this where you come from!"

"Where do you think I come from?!" Jack roared.

"Sid?"

Jack's hand touched something soft. He whipped around and found Sally; without thinking, he whipped behind her and ducked. Sally stiffened up uncomfortably, eyes darting between Jack and Lead Singer Sid. She just barely saw a flash of plastic in front of her eyes before her arm reached up and swatted it away from her face.

The remote bounced off of the wall and landed at Lead Singer Sid's feet. Lead Singer Sid's entire body reeled at the sight before facing Sally, anger radiating from his body. "SALLY!"

Sally gasped and put her hands over her head, bracing herself for impact. Jack's hand shot in front of her in an instant.

"Sally's room!"

The sheer random-ness of the statement made Lead Singer Sid's anger disappear in a quick puff. Instead, his brows tensed in confusion. "What?"

Jack peeked out from behind the woman (an odd sight, considering his elbows and knees were already poking out awkwardly from the sides of her anyway). "I'll stay in Sally's room. She has her own room, right? I'm close by, she can keep an eye on me, and I don't have to stay in…" He pointed towards his room. "_There_."

It took a moment, but Sid's face finally started to smile (although the rest of him was angry). "Sure… I like it. Sally's room. Deal."

His safety secured, Jack flew out from behind the stunned Sally and shook Lead Singer Sid's hand. "Thank you, my friend! I knew there had to be some common sense in there somewhere! A grand idea! I'm going to fix myself a bed! Good fellow! Wonderful man, couldn't have asked for a better human to be my master!"

Jack turned on his heel and walked away as quick as he could. He muttered under his breath, "You ass."

Sally, silent throughout the whole matter, was suddenly pulled roughly to her brother's side. He growled into her ear, "Do whatever he says."

She blinked a few times, and then asked, "What?"

Lead Singer Sid made a noise between a huff and a cough. "Are you as stupid as you are ugly? The only reason a male anything would want in your room is to bang you. Do whatever he says."

Sally gasped, horrified, which obviously meant he had to keep explaining (at least, in his mind, it did). "Look, idiot, if you have a half-demon kid, the money wi-"

"I AM A SKELETON!" Jack screamed from Sally's room. "And that's NOT WHY I'M IN HERE!"

Lead Singer Sid yanked on Sally's arm again, making her squeak in pain. "Demons lie. Do whatever he says."

With one last shove, he hurtled her towards her room, and she automatically fell through her door and slammed it behind her. She stood panting at the threshold for a second or two, painfully devoid of thoughts. As last she was able to convince herself (after a few deep breathes and a quick study of her feet), that this whole scenario was not happening. Her brother had not summoned a demon, it was not in her room waiting to rape her, and she could go to bed in peace tonight once her arm stopped hurting-

She looked up to see Jack, arms crossed and hips slanted. Her breathing stopped in her throat, and she pressed harder against the door.

He didn't move. "He told you I was lying, didn't he?"

Sally found herself nodding, although she didn't want to. Jack shook his head, rubbing his eyelids (how did he DO THAT?!) angrily.

But when he looked up, she saw something different. His eyes- his eye sockets, whatever, looked tired and… a little sorry. He held out his hand to her, and she immediately relaxed.

"I'm sorry, but I assure you, I mean you no harm. I simply can't sleep in his room." He shuddered, making his bottles rattle softly. "Too creepy. I can feel the hate coming out of it."

Sally nodded understandingly, a tiny smile finally forming on her equally tiny lips. Jack nodded towards his hand again, placing his other hand on his hip and tapping it.

It hit her a bit abruptly, and the realization made her jump. She took it with a gentle grip, and the two shook hands in an assuring way.

"Sorry about that," Jack admitted.

Sally blushed and teased her hair. "No problem."

Jack let go of her hand and gestured to her tiny room. "I rather like this place, actually. It's cozy, it's white, it's…" He turned back to talk to her, but met empty air. He spun around violently before spotting her again and continuing his monologue. "It's very wholesome."

He flashed a smile that made Sally giggle and dive under her bedcovers. "Thank you."

"And I like that lumpy thing you're laying on."

Sally jumped up, confused, until she spotted her old Valentine's Day pillow. "That's a heart."

The explanation made Jack laugh. "You're as confused about anatomy as you are about me! That's precious!"

Feeling secure, Sally snuggled under her blanket and buried her ear into her heart pillow. "Confused about what about you?"

The skeleton felt a long discussion coming on. He sat down on the floor next to Sally's bed and reclined on the side, letting his head fall onto Sally's knee. He placed his arms up on the mattress and casually addressed her. "Like where I came from, and what I am. You think I'm some demon spawn from hell or something."

"Well, where are you from?"

"Halloween Town," Jack mused with a smile, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander. "Beautiful place, wonderful people. Nothing quite so…" He shuddered again, "Violent as your wonderful friend likes to think."

"He's my brother," Sally explained. "Did I not tell you?"

Jack gave Sally a surprised look, then let his head fall back onto the bed. "Thank God."

"Why?"

Jack made eye contact with Sally again and flicked her nose. "Because I was about to scold you for your horrible choice in domestic partners."

Sally giggled again and buried herself into the covers. "Yeah, well… he's family. What am I supposed to do?"

"Family…" Jack leaned back again, his previous smile starting to slump. "Yes…"

Sally suddenly felt a bit colder, a damp sort of cold that she felt when someone around her was depressed. She propped herself up on her elbows so she could see Jack better; he was sagging where he sat, long legs sprawling forlornly across the floor. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"It was supposed to be my father here…" Jack murmured, speaking to himself more than Sally. He let his face wander to Sally's window; although the blinds were down, he could still sense the moon's presence through the shade's blue glow.

"Oh yeah!" Sally gasped quietly. "I remember that! Well, if he's not here, where is he?"

Jack didn't answer her right away. In fact, what was left of his smile completely left him before he spoke again. "I don't know."

"Oh…" The damp, depression cold reached Sally's chest, and she bundled back up in her covers to regain her warmth. "Where do you think he is?"

"I…" Jack swallowed and continued. "I'm not sure. I… didn't really see him before I got summoned. I was out exploring the Hinterlands… those are the woods outside of my home."

Sally went, "Ah…", the only acknowledgement Jack needed to continue. "I had been away from home for a few hours before your brother called me. I don't really know where he is now."

"That's a long time to be out," Sally mentioned. "Do you think he went looking for you?"

She regretted it as soon as she mentioned it. Jack's eyes fell to the floor. He curled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees, closing his eyes lightly. She sat up watching him for a while, hoping for a sign of life from the skeleton, but he showed no more emotion. She finally gave up and, guilt weighing on her chest knowing she had upset him, finally wrapped the covers just tightly enough around her to remind her she had forgotten to take her jeans off before she went to bed.

It was not a comfortable night's sleep.

* * *

The real metal-y stuff's in the next chapter. This is important (yet boring) plot set-up, I'm sorry. 


	3. Chapter 3

Slave to the Music

Anybody know why really metal bands feel the need to cover ridiculous stuff? Black Sabbath did a cover of "Stayin' Alive". White Zombie did "I'm Your Boogie Man". Marilyn Manson did "This is Halloween", for crying out loud! Nothin' to do with today's chapter, I just felt like blabbing.

* * *

"Okay, everybody," Lead Singer Sid explained. "Tomorrow's the County-Wide Death Metal Extravapaloozania. It's the biggest death metal concert in the whole county, and we're on first. If we play a good enough set, we'll all set to go straight to opening for our rivals, Monsterocalypse. We beat them, and we're straight shots for fame and fortune as the best death metal band in the country." 

"Thank you, Mr. Exposition," Jack groaned. "Any machine gun pens and helicopter cars you want to throw at us while you're at it?"

Lead Singer Sid flicked the "pain" button, making Jack flinch back into his armchair. "You be quiet!"

"Sure thing, Fido- GAH!"

Lead Singer Sid, lowering the remote back to his side, adjusted the tightest of the three studded collars around his neck. That, in turn, made the leather studded wristbands he was wearing wrinkle uncomfortably, and the resulting wiggle made the rest of his leather outfit turn into one giant wedgie. "For your information, these things are metal."

After a few minutes of thinking, Jack responded with, "No, my dear friend, they're actually _leather_." He smiled evilly, and Lead Singer Sid got the feeling he was being made fun of. "I understand how that could be confusing for you."

Lead Singer Sid's hand twitched over the remote. "Shut up."

"Not like that," Lead Guitarist Sid explained to the skeleton. "He means they epitomize heavy metal."

Jack tapped his chin. "No, I'm pretty sure _lead_ epitomizes heavy metal. It's a metal, and it's heavy. Thus being 'heavy metal'."

"Shut up!" Lead Singer Sid finally shouted. "We gotta practice! Everyone, get in your places! You too, Jack!"

He, instead, heard a soft ruffle as Jack settled back into his armchair, long arms and legs flailing over the sides dramatically. "No, thank you."

Bass Guitarist Sid wiggled under his Rotten Zombie Ninja Death Nazi Solider Werewolf Nun rubber mask. "Ah, cuh moh, Jah. Illbee fuh!"

The skeleton's face stretched height-wise, twisting into a strangely cute expression of confusion. He looked around the room for Sally. "Translator, please!"

Sally looked up from her magazine and blandly recited, "'Aw, come on, Jack. It'll be fun'."

As a thank you, Jack threw her a kiss and fell back into his chair. He waved his hands as he spoke. "Right, because music isn't fun unless you're dressed like the rabid dog of a dominatrix, a Japanese B-movie monster, a wanna-be transvestite-"

"Hey!" Drummer Sid growled, careful not to move too much for fear of his carefully sculpted hairdo. "Poison would be metal if they weren't a bunch of pussies!"

Jack's eyebrow crept up his head. "Riiiiight. Continuing, a wanna-be transvestite, a corpse- which, by the way," he pointed out to Lead Guitarist Sid, "Is much more blue than you've painted yourself."

After a second of painfully oblivious silence, Lead Guitarist Sid shrugged through his three layers of corpse paint. "Wal-Mart was out of white."

"-and, my personal favorite, that… that Simmons fellow."

Rhythm guitarist Sid smiled brightly through (what looked like) the rest of Wal-Mart's white paint, styled in a perfect replica of Peter Kriss's famous KISS face. "Gene?"

The smirk on Jack's face confirmed that his trap had worked, "No, Richard."

One click, and Jack was almost facedown on the floor in agony. Sally twitched in her chair, but a sharp look from Lead Singer Sid sent her back to her magazine article in a hurry.

Lead Singer Sid stuffed the remote in his pocket. "Everybody ready to practice _now_?!"

Drummer Sid spun his sticks, sending one into the bridge of his nose. "Ow! Ready!"

Lead Guitarist Sid hitched his guitar up to where he could reach it then lowered it to where he could barely touch the strings. "Ready!"

Rhythm Guitarist Sid jiggled his guitar until the bat wings of his suit snapped out of his way. "Ready!"

Bass Guitarist Sid put his heavily gloved fingers approximately where the chord should be. "Rehh!"

"As if I have a choice…" Jack tossed his head towards Sally, who promptly tossed it back. "Translator!" When he received no answer, he found that Sally had covered her ears. "Sally, translate, plea-"

THE MUSIC CAME ON WITHOUT WARNING! THE AMPLIFIERS BUZZED WITH ELECTRICITY, AND THE HOUSES FOUNDATION RATTLED!

_MURDER! DEATH!_

_MURDER! DEATH!_

_SCREAM YOUR KILLER'S NAME_

_WITH YOUR VERY LAST BREATH!_

Some where in the middle of the first verse, Lead Singer Sid heard his voice being drowned out by an unearthly scream. He halted the band, and the Sids watched in awe as Jack emptied out the rest of his… uh… "lungs." Yeah. We'll go with that.

"THAT WAS SO METAL!" Rhythm Guitarist Sid wailed.

Lead Guitarist Sid applauded the skeleton warmly. "Now you're getting the hang of it!"

Jack shook his head violently. "No, I'm just now getting the _feeling back in my head_! You call that music?!" He shakily got back to his feet. "Now I know why you need the costumes! It's to distract the audience from the hellstorm coming out of your mouth!"

Within seconds, Jack had been thrown to the floor and was writhing in agony. Lead Singer Sid held down the button for about half a minute before finally letting Jack go-

Only to have the skeleton promptly pass out. The band groaned. Sally gasped.

"Jack?!" She rushed from her chair and cradled the limp skeleton into one arm. "Oh no! Are you okay? Jack!"

"He's fine." Lead Singer Sid stuffed the remote pack into his pocket, "accidentally" pressing "pain" on the way down and making Jack twitch.

Sally whipped her head around, eyes ablaze. "Stop it, Reggie!"

It got very quiet. Sally didn't realize what she had done for a few seconds. When she finally noticed she had called her brother by his actual name she panicked, gathering Jack's lifeless form in her arms. "Sid! Sid, sorry!

"Did you just…" Lead Singer Sid growled. "Talk back to me?"

"You know you shouldn't talk back to him," Drummer Sid recited.

Her mind was a shuddering heap of fear at this point, but Sally found that her mouth was working independently of her mind at this point. "I-I-I d-didn't mean anything rrude! I-I was j-just looking out for the b-band!"

It was quiet once more, but a different kind of quiet. A surprised quiet, and now all of the band mates were involved. Lead Singer Sid blinked twice, but started to relax. "How?"

Sally panicked again. Her throat began to seize up, and she could feel the blood draining from her face. Her arms began to shiver…

But the shivering made Jack's head fall softly onto her shoulder. The warmth on her neck soothed her nerves enough for her to speak. "I mean… Jack is… well, h-he's- (gulp) I mean, h-he's out cold. A-a passed-out demon doe- won't do the band much good, will it?"

Lead Singer Sid looked to the others. They seemed to share a collective shrug, and Lead Singer Sid responded with, "I guess not."

"You do?" Sally's heart stirred from somewhere in her lower intestines. "You do! And- Oh! And besides, I-if you hurt him too m-many times, he won't work ffor you at all!"

It felt more like Jack's words coming out of her mouth than hers, but it was enough to distract the band from the traumatized skeleton. Rhythm Guitarist Sid pointed to nothing, the signal that he was telling a story.

"Oh yeah, you know I saw this thing on the news where this guy bugged this dog, and like, it killed him, but instead of it being a dog, it was, like, a goat."

"Oh, dude, a harassed homicidal goat," Lead Guitarist Sid murmured. "That's so metal."

"Iz ih tolah tah chahne our banh nahm?" Bass Guitarist Sid asked.

Jack whispered, "Translator."

Sally recited in a hushed voice, "'Is it too late to change our band name-' Jack!"

Her attention darted to Jack's face; he looked completely wiped out, but he managed to put a finger to his "lips" before falling back asleep.

"Great, whatever, we'll start now." Lead Singer Sid grabbed Sally's hair and yanked it hard enough to get her attention. "Okay, now thanks to you, Sid wants to go write a whole 'nother song."

Bass Guitarist Sid raised his hand, "Noh, I doh!"

"Not you!" Lead Singer Sid choked. "Wait, I mean yes- you, I mean- fuck!" He pointed accusingly at Sally. "This is coming out of your half of the spending money!"

"But I-"

Too late. The Sids had already left the garage for the living room to write their next big hit, "Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat". Sally sighed softly, pulling Jack a little closer to her chest. "Never mind."

She decided to see if Jack was still asleep; he wasn't, instead smiling quite contently with his head resting right in the valley of her breasts. He spotted her staring at him and smiled weakly.

She pushed him to his knees, holding onto his shoulders for stability. "You pervert."

"Iwasquite content there…" Jack slurred, head still spinning from his experience. Sally gave him a light pop on the nose with her first two fingers. "Ow!"

Sally crossed her arms and waited for him to recover. "Do you still hurt?"

"If I say yes, willyouholdme again?"

Sally popped his nose again, although she was resisting the urge to laugh. Those perverted little snippets were actually a little funny, not to mention cute when coming from Jack Skellington, living stick figure. "Okay, I'm asking you again. Are you still hurting?"

Jack was too busy rubbing his eyelids to answer right away, but he eventually responded with, "I'm a lot better than I used to be- Ow! I wasn't being smart with that one!"

The two then fell into a giggle fit, each holding his or her side and trying not to let the other know they were laughing. Sally finished first and wrapped an arm around Jack. He lifted himself as best he could and tried to walk, letting Sally carry what he couldn't to her room.

He whispered to her somewhere around the kitchen area. "I heard you tell your brother off."

"I didn't tell him off," Sally snapped.

"Well," Jack relented. "Whatever you call it in this backwards little universe of yours, I'm proud that you did it."

Sally blushed a slight shade of pink, and Jack (for no particular reason) blushed as well. He was grateful that Sally wasn't looking at him at that particular moment, or else he would have never stopped explaining to her how he did it. "I-I didn't really do anything-"

Jack stopped in his tracks, Sally not quite catching on and pulling him a few steps forward before she stopped. His vision reeled for a moment, but he soon got his sense of balance back and said, "You protected me from that trigger happy brother of yours, and that's enough for me. I have to pay you back. What do you want me to do?"

It seemed unlikely Sally could turn any redder at this point, but she did. "Oh, Jack, please…"

"No! I insist! I have to do something!" Jack poured on his best grateful routine, the best he'd done in a long time (considering he was still shaky and aching). "Come on! I'll help with the housework one day… no? Maybe something a little more intimate?" He fell to his knees and folded his hands, his head falling somewhere around Sally's belly button. "PLEASE let it be something more intimate!"

The embarrassment nearly sent Sally to her knees; she was lucky to fall back against the refrigerator. "Oh, GOD, Jack!"

Sally snapped her fingers. "I want you to stop bothering Reggie and do what he tells you."

Jack didn't move. It was almost as if he hadn't heard her. "What?"

"I want you to do what he wants you to do." Sally helped the (now) very quiet skeleton back onto his feet. "I know he can be a pain, but you're only making it worse. Will you do it for me?"

Jack stood still for just a minute… then he smiled at Sally and took her hand. "For you, my dear, I would do anything-"

He unexpectedly pulled her into his arms and spun her around like a ballroom dancer, landing her in a low and dramatic dip. "Because you have complete and total control over what's left of my heart-"

He bounced her back onto her feet and tucked his appendages into his body contemplatively. "And all the little hormones that I have but don't use anymore because I have no crotch."

He tapped his pelvis where his genitals should be, making a hollow tapping noise. Sally turned purple with embarrassment and fell flat onto the floor, trying hard to stifle her laughter. He grinned again, happy he could make that woman laugh like that. That could be his side job; not only would he make the idiot band ridiculously successful, he would make Sally laugh a lot. She needed it. It made him sorry he had to leave.

But the favor he would be doing her made it that much better.

* * *

I'm trying to be funny all the time, really I am, but it's tricky. Especially when writing for Sally. Sally's not a verbally humorous character, especially not at this stage. Stay tuned. Big concert scene next chapter, and it will feature "Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat". As soon as I write it. 


	4. Chapter 4

Slave to the Music

"Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat". By me. Don't hurt me (flinches)

* * *

Lead Singer Sid counted off, "One! Two! Three! METAL!" 

Huge jets of fire poured from the stage, just missing the audience's heads. They screamed in both terror and delight as Deathplosion kept playing.

_**Free** the hell beast deep inside!_

_**Free** it from your beaten hide!_

_**From** the depths of hate and scorn_

_**Feel** the blood run down your horn!_

More fire from the fringes of the audience! It started with the band and traveled around the perimeter, taking vicious swipes at whoever was too close!

_**Hell! Goat! Hell!**_

_The goat from **hell!**_

The dancing flame reached the stage once again, igniting the backdrop into an enormous wall of fire. The band did the best they could to stay on-tempo.

_**Hell! Goat! Hell!**_

_The goat from **hell**!_

Jack Skellington's maniacal laughter rang from all corners of the arena, sending a cold shiver down the fan's spines. They screamed for more, devil horns jutting up towards the band.

_See tormentor wield the blade._

_See your blood, a reddish shade._

_See his arm swinging around._

_See his head fall to the ground!_

_**Hell! Goat! Hell!**_

_The goat from **hell**!_

The last remaining shreds of the still-burning backdrop suddenly flew from their hangings. They twirled around in the center of the stage, flames whipping past the Sids. The smoldering canvas formed a glowing orange cocoon that sucked in the audience's attention.

_**Hell! Goat! Hell!**_

_The goat from-_

The cocoon burst into a giant goat's head that spewed the last of its embers into the crowd before disappearing.

_**HELL!**_

The cheers were indescribable. Fans rushed the stage within an instant, swarming around the Sids and pulling them all away from each other.

The concert was perfect. And Jack had barely exerted himself.

He knew it. It was pretty much the only thing keeping him awake at this point; the pride that he had both entertained and struck terror into the hearts of the tiny crowd with hardly a stretch of his nonexistent muscles.

But now the focus of their love and devotion was focused on those undeserving slobs who thought music was a business, not a passion.

"Jack!"

One tiny voice called out to him from the parking lot. Jack turned and faced Sally as she ran past the tiny collection of cars to meet him. He turned back with a sigh, continuing to ponder the moon as he was before.

"Jack, you were incredible!" Sally found herself gushing like the fangirls she was trying to avoid. "With the smoke, and the fire, and the dancing-"

"You saw me dancing?" he asked curiously.

Sally fluffed her hair and skipped next to Jack. "Well, I was standing behind you. You put on a very two-dimensional show."

He replied with no emotion, "The audience typically isn't behind the show."

There was a soft pause. Sally waited for some smart comment from Jack, fidgeting nervously when she heard nothing. She swallowed her fear and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Would you believe…"

Apparently, that was the key. Although the smile was sad and faked, Jack smiled back at her, face reflecting the moonlight so he glowed as well. "I'm homesick?"

Sally cocked her head curiously. "Did you do that often back home?"

"Oh-ho-ho, more than you'll ever know." He shifted his weight to the hip closest to Sally, making his pelvis bump into her arm. "There's music everywhere in Halloween Town. And real music, too, not that ear-shattering excuse for a melody."

"I keep telling them, they need to get a songwriter. But do they listen to me? Nooooo…"

Jack chuckled softly, but a lingering ache stifled his laugh. He must have still been hurting from the "pain" button.

No sooner than Jack put a hand to his chest, Sally grabbed him in a gentle hug. He twitched softly under her arms. "What are you doing?"

Sally tightened her grip, and implored him, "Didn't we figure out a system? You hurt, I hold you until you get better."

"I like that system," Jack replied with a real grin. "You should patent it. We could make millions. Either than or remind your brother there's another button on that remote."

The mention of the remote gave Sally a rather devious idea, but she tucked it away. Instead, she and Jack stood and stared at the moon for a while.

"Tell me more…" Sally finally whispered. "About music…"

"In Halloween Town, you mean?"

"Yeah…" She pulled away gently so she could see his face. "What's it like? Any heavy metal?"

"Yes, it's called lead." Jack tented his fingers and looked off into nowhere. "Anyway, I can't really describe the music back home. It's not given this much attention, I can tell you. Nothing is ever really planned, everything just… comes out."

Sally gasped, her eyes widening in excitement. "A musical!"

"Exactly!" Jack clapped his hands. "I knew I liked you for a reason!"

"How do you know what to sing about?" A nervous shudder ran down Sally's spine. "Oh, I've always wanted to know that!"

Jack didn't know what was a prettier sight at this point; the moon or the effect the moon was having on Sally. He took a second to think (he'd never been asked to question something that came so naturally to him before). "It's… I suppose it's just what's strongest in your heart at the moment." Another thought crossed his mind. "For example, I don't think 'Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat' came from your brother's heart."

He got a huff and a comical head-toss in return. "More like his wallet." Sally stepped closer to him, standing nose-to-base-of-neck with him. "Hey, is there anything in there right now?"

Suddenly, a million notes went through Jack's heart; a thousand words, a hundred verses, a dozen choruses, and the all filtered down into a little song…

And he choked. "Ah- no."

"You're lying." Sally began to poke Jack in the breastbone. "You-are-ly-ing-tell-me-now."

"Cut it out!"

Jack swooped out from Sally's hand and slid behind her. She spun around only to have him dodge her again. "I wanna hear!"

"No you don't," he cooed into her ear. "Because you'll hit me."

"No I won't," whispered Sally, not turning around. "Why do you think that?"

He waited a few seconds. Sally felt a little nervous, knowing that a bona fide monster was standing behind her, his mouth hovering over her ear.

"This is embarrassing. I feel like a teenager again."

"Come on, Ja-"

"It's a love song. Don't hit me!"

Jack jumped back and, in a weird sort-of flinch, balanced on one foot while holding his arms over his head. However, there was no impact, only the sound of Sally laughing. He made sure to uncurl himself as clumsily as possible, knowing it made Sally laugh. He finally made up the courage to look at the woman again-

She was kneeling right in front of him, right at eye level. She smiled at him, and for a second, Jack thought he recognized the smile as one of his own. "Why a love song?"

"Why not?" he echoed. "It's a clear night, it's a full moon, it's beautiful…"

The couple straightened themselves up in sync, never breaking eye contact with the other.

"Who's it for?"

"Some songs lose their impact if they don't hold a few secrets."

_"Who's it for?"_

Jack took her hand and dipped her, one arm flailing dramatically in the air. "I'd say it's for the woman who makes my heart beat like thunder, but I don't have a heart anymore."

Sally clasped her hands joyfully. "Yay! You're better now!"

The skeleton righted her and playfully "dusted" her hips. "Does that mean I don't have to sing it?"

"Oh, no." Sally grinned again. "I want to hear the song about the woman that makes your ex-heart beat like thunder."

"Ex-heart. I like that." Jack took a breath. "Oh well, you asked for it."

"I didn't ask for it," Sally corrected. "I demanded it."

"Whatever…" Jack took another breath-

"You know I have to sing to a face."

"JACK!"

"Okay, okay…"

I never have seen eyes

That are quite likes yours.

Let it be known

These words I speak are true;

For with all the places I have been,

The people I have met,

I have never met someone 

Who was quite like you…

Jack's voice was… beautiful. Sally had never heard anyone… anything… that sang like him.

And now there were words fluttering in her mind, choruses and refrains and melodies all falling together…

Jack took her hand, pulling her towards him. "Feel anything?"

She tried to step away, but he gently teased her into the very beginnings of a waltz. They calmly, slowly, circled each other, still hand in hand. Sally swallowed a lump of nervousness collecting in her throat. "Does this happen every time?"

"Not every time…" Jack admitted. "Only when the singers connect…"

Sally felt the words coming out before she could stop them.

_I've heard that voice; _

_I've heard it in my dreams._

_I never would have dreamed_

_That voice was you._

_And as you sing, I will hang on_

_To every word I hear,_

_Because I've never heard someone_

_Who sings like you…_

"You've never heard Danny Elfman sing, then."

"Shut up, Jack," Sally giggled. "You're ruining the mood."

Jack held his head a little more proudly. "I can't help it, it's my job."

"No…"

Sally tugged on his arm, making him step closer and closer to her. "Your job is to obey every order my brother and I give you."

"'And I'. I don't remember 'and I' being in the original contract."

"You pledged you allegiance to me yourself, remember?"

"Like a brand new flag. So, master, what is your command?"

"Finish the song."

The two began singing at the song time, their voices somehow falling into the right places every time.

_One perfect voice, one perfect song,_

_One perfect harmony._

_We'll sing until the morning sky is blue._

They were so close their noses were touching. Sally gave Jack a soft nudge on the cheek.

I never thought that I would find- 

Jack returned the nudge, Sally's skin feeling warm against his cold bone.

A perfect match for me…

The couple finally noticed just how close they were. Their bodies were pressed against each other, their joined hands sandwiched between their chests. Their noses were pressed together, side by side. Even their lips were gently brushing against each other at the very corners.

They looked at each other, and decided to forget it for the time being and finish the song.

_But I've never met someone_

_Who was quite like you…_

They stood in the moonlight, lost in the moment and feeling horrifyingly romantic and all the accompanying emotions…

But somewhere in the distance, five other sets of eyes were watching them. One said to the others of his pack. "Whatever that thing is… we need it."

* * *

HOLY CRAP, I can't believe I wrote that! I guess my romance tolerance has built a bit. I personally blame "Your Song" from Moulin Rouge. But anyway, you guys are treated to two original songs by me. "Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat" was written yesterday. "Quite Like You" was written some time in the Dark Ages (i.e. freshman year). Eugh! Giving myself the love-jibblies. I gotta get out of here before I puke. Laterness. 


	5. Chapter 5

Slave to the Music

Big gap. BIG GAP, I know, I'm sorry. Didn't really know how to start this one. Anyway, here goes.

* * *

PAIN! 

Jack fell out of his armchair in a tangled heap, leaving Lead Singer Sid laughing over his limbs. He growled and shook himself into alignment. "A nice 'Good morning, Jack' would have worked just as well…"

"Shut up."

The skeleton sighed hopelessly and flopped back into his armchair. He had to try, at least, to be a little quite like Sally had asked him to. But, oo, was it going to be hard today…

Lead Singer Sid turned and addressed his band mates. "The concert was a hit!"

"We know!" Drummer Sid stated plainly. "We were there!"

Lead Singer Sid choked on his words for a moment before shouting, "SHUT UP! Anyway, we're going to the state finals, Outragalazania!"

"Wait-" Jack counted off on his fingers, mumbling as quietly as he could so Lead Singer Sid couldn't hear him. "That's 'outrageous', 'gala', and- what, 'Tanzania'?"

"Shut up!"

With a click, Jack was sent back to the floor. Lead Singer Sid held down the button for good measure, making Jack screech for three seconds straight before stopping.

Rhythm Guitarist Sid carefully took his hands off of his ears. "I've… got stuff coming out of my ears… and not the usual stuff…"

Lead Singer Sid allowed a few seconds for everyone's ears to recover and then continued. "All right… we're going to Outragalazania."

"We kno-"

"AND Monsterocalypse…" Lead Singer Sid hissed before they could upstage him further. "Is going to be there."

A cold hush fell over the room.

Jack couldn't resist. "At the risk of making _you_ sound stupid, it's just 'apocalypse'."

He braced for the impact; Lead Singer Sid didn't just hold the button down, he hammered it. The pain crashed through Jack in waves, choking his screams in his throat and cracking several of his ribs in the process. He gasped for air like he had just come out of the lake, wondering how much it would have hurt if he hadn't prepared himself.

Lead Singer Sid growled softly, watching Jack fall over the armrest and catch his breath. "Monsterocalypse is our biggest rival. They write more songs than us, they get more fans than us, and they get more _girls_ than us."

From behind his drum set, Drummer Sid uttered an impassioned, "And they get paid more than us!"

"Not to mention get free food at the Dunkin Donuts!" Lead Guitarist Sid complained.

Bass Guitarist Sid squealed, "And they get better costumes!"

There was a few minutes pause, and then all eyes went to Rhythm Guitarist Sid. He shrugged. "Like, you guys said everything I was gonna say."

"And they're not even metal!" Lead Singer Sid complained. "They don't even have one song about a bloody rape and murder!"

Jack tapped his breastbone in an attempt to breath again. "Have they _no_ artistic integrity?" he sarcastically droned. "What do they sing about?"

"Politics!" Lead Singer Sid growled. "Racism and social injustice and war and stuff!"

Social injustice? War? Their music made a political statement? Jack, for the first time that day, actually smiled. "Really? Bravo!"

It came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Lead Singer Sid rammed the remote in between his ribs. The resulting shock felt like a taser, sending bright bolts of electricity through Jack's marrow into every corner of his body.

"NO! NO BRAVO! YOU LIKE OUR BAND, AND THAT'S IT!"

Lead Singer Sid lifted his finger off the button. Jack slumped forward, arms twitching from some residual jolts.

"You know…" Rhythm Guitarist Sid mused. "This, like, seems really familiar…"

Bass Guitarist Sid made a confused noise. "Really?"

"I think we, like, wrote this song-"

Lead Guitarist Sid snapped, "Sid, shut up. You're not being metal."

With no sign of life from Jack, Lead Singer Sid went to withdraw his hand-

Jack lunged forward! Lead Singer Sid panicked and fell back against the drum set! Jack snarled at him, eyes blazing-

"Jack! No!"

The voice snapped Jack back into consciousness. He shook his head and got back onto his feet, thoughts and music and pain spinning around in his skull…

"Reggie, what did you do?" Sally ran to Jack just as he began to fall forward, catching his entire body in her free arm (the other was carrying the week's groceries). "Oh no. Don't worry, Jack, it'll be okay-"

"What did you-"

Sally's head snapped around, her furious expression matching Lead Singer Sid's. "Can it, Reggie!"

The Sids (minus Lead Singer Sid) took in a collective gasp. Lead Singer Sid fell back a few steps more, his easily confused brain running on its last two fuses. "What?"

"I already know this is your fault!" Sally slipped the groceries onto the coffee table and held her hand out to her brother. "Gimme the remote."

Nothing. Her brother had the I'm-not-thinking-right-now face, and he was now staring blankly at her palm. She growled and snatched the remote out of his pocket.

"HEY!"

"You don't get this back until Jack is better!" Sally snapped. "You're lucky I don't call the police on you for domestic abuse!"

She turned to the sleeping skull on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Jack, I've got you…"

With one final shrug of her shoulder, Sally had Jack propped up on her elbow and was carrying him out of the room. The band watched in amazement, unable to make words come out of their mouths in any sensible manner. Even Lead Singer Sid was still blankly staring at the spot where Sally's hand was.

Bass Guitarist Sid jumped up. "Song idea!"

The shout snapped Lead Singer Sid out of his reverie. "What just happened?"

"It'd be perfect!" Bass Guitarist Sid continued, unaware. "We could call it 'Harassed Homicidal Hell Skeleton'!"

Drummer Sid slapped his forehead. "And I thought Sid was stupid…"

"HEY!"

"Not you!" Drummer Sid snapped at Lead Guitarist Sid, "I meant- never mind."

"Did Sally talk back to me?" Lead Singer Sid was coming out of his shock very slowly, and his band mates chose to ignore him until he was lucid.

Bass Guitarist Sid stood his ground. "People loved 'Harassed Homicidal Hell Goat'! Why wouldn't they like 'Harassed Homicidal Hell Skeleton'?"

"Sally's not supposed to talk back to me…"

"… And besides, Jack'll like it because it'll be about him!"

And that knocked Lead Singer Sid's head back on. His body tensed wildly, and his face turned bright red. "HIM! Jack made Sally talk back to me!"

Then everything was quiet. Oingo Boingo music started playing. Lead Singer Sid, waiting for his band's obligatory compliance, stood still for a few seconds before going, "WELL?!"

"Well, that's…" Lead Guitarist tentatively plucked his guitar. "Kinda obvious."

Drummer Sid nodded. "Duh."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh yeah," Rhythm Guitarist Sid admitted bluntly. "They've, like, totally had the hots for each other since he got here."

Lead Singer Sid reeled. "Well, why didn't you tell me?"

"We thought you knew!" Drummer Sid wailed.

"But- I- gah-" Lead Singer Sid stumbled a bit, righting himself so suddenly that he had to hold his head to recover. "JACK! I am gonna kill him! Where's-

He jammed his hand into his pocket, finding only the bottom of his pocket. "Where's the remote?"

Rhythm Guitarist Sid jabbed his thumb down the hallway. "Sally's got it."

"WHAT?!" Lead Singer Sid looked like he was about to explode. "When did that happen?"

Even Rhythm Guitarist Sid knew better than to answer that.

"GRRR! Jack's not gonna be the only one to get it this time!" He waved his hand over his shoulder. "Come on."

They all sighed and followed their leader down the hallway, taking a small bit of comfort in the fact that most of them liked the song "Dead Man's Party". They reached the door just as the song ended-

And then they heard moaning.

It was soft moaning, nowhere near sex-worthy, but it _was_ moaning and it _was_ coming from the room Sally and Jack were in. The band all stopped in their tracks in shock. Rhythm Guitarist Sid began to snigger, and Drummer Sid slapped his hand over his mouth to stop him. Lead Singer Sid put his ear to the door and waited.

He was "rewarded" with a loud, dry SMACK and the sound of Sally squealing. "Thank you _thank you_ **_thank you_** **_THANK YOU_**, you wonderful woman!"

"Jack, stop!"

"Are you kidding? The only human to be nice to me wants me to stop being nice to her?"

Sally's voice was practically an octave higher in delight. "Oh, you drama queen!"

"You're right, maybe I'm over-thinking this. Maybe you just want me to stop doing this."

And then the moaning started again, and Lead Singer Sid couldn't take it. He kicked down the flimsy door with one swift motion and stormed the room, knocking both Jack and Sally to the ground. His hand automatically found the remote and jammed it into Jack's stomach, making the skeleton roar in pain. Sally was slammed against her dresser in the fray, and she shouted as a drawer knob hit her square in the spine.

Sally's shout reached Jack's "ears". The skeleton's eyes wrenched open through the pain, and Jack jumped at the closest person: Lead Singer Sid.

Lead Singer Sid was thrown to the floor, and the remote fell from his hands. Lead Guitarist Sid jumped; Jack sensed the movement and lunged at the band, scattering the Sids through every corner of the house. Lead Singer Sid screamed and scrambled for his room, locking the door behind him. The Sids each escaped the house one by one, Jack chasing Lead Guitarist Sid out of the front door personally.

Meanwhile, Sally was still trying to recover from the pain in her spine. She took a few minutes to get her breath back, and by the time she could stand up, Jack was back in her room. He cradled her to his chest and gently rocked her. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yeah…" she hissed sharply. "It's okay, though."

"That bastard…" he growled. "That sadistic, evil bastard. I can't wait until I'm through here; you'll never have to put up with him again."

"I…" Sally was suddenly pain-free, her full attention focused on Jack's face. "What?"

"That's part of the agreement," Jack explained. "In return for being _his_ slave, I get to take him back to Halloween Town to be my _family's _slave. Didn't you read the spell? 'For the purpose of (whatever), I summon the eldest living male of the Skellington family to serve his master in hope of pleasure or to scorn his master in assurance of pain until his service has ended. I hereby surrender my life in this world so he may continue his death in his', only backwards.

"Once he's the 'most popular band in the universe', he comes with me to Halloween Town and you never have to see him again."

Jack smiled expectantly, waiting for the gush of gratitude and another kiss…

Instead, Sally slowly pulled away, her face blank. She slowly walked out of the room, face staring directly ahead. Jack blinked, confused. "Sally?"

She didn't respond.

* * *

Sorry about the big gap. I drifted from the outline and didn't know how to keep going. Stuff's about to get kind of serious, and I will be writing "Harassed Homicidal Hell Skeleton" for the occasion. 


	6. Chapter 6

Slave to the Music

Sorry. Big gap. I got stuck on how to handle this part, and then I realized, "HEY! I can skip all the emotional exposition and go right to the good stuff!" Awesome!

* * *

The car ride was a long way for Jack and Sally both. 

For Sally, she spent the entire two-hour trip trying to put Jack out of her mind. For all of his charm, his wit, his charisma, he was going to separate her from the only family she had. She couldn't let him tear Reggie and her apart, no matter how sweet he was… or how loud Reggie could be when he was angry… or how hungry they both got in-between fads… Jack was easier to separate herself from than her younger brother, but it was still incredibly hard.

For Jack, he spent the first half of the entire two-hour car trip trying to figure out why Sally hadn't talked to him for the past three days, and how on the third day she even stopped looking in his direction. His thoughts left him every few seconds or so, though; Lead Singer Sid was not a good driver, and the Action Packer ice chest he was crammed in did not make for an easy ride. The second half of the two hour car trip, he simply tried not to throw up.

Salvation at last when his prison was tripped over, and Jack fell onto gravel face-first. "We're here, Jack!" chirped Bass Guitarist Sid.

"DaDdY, dOn'T FiGhT them, there're tOo MaNy…" Jack burbled in a half-delusional haze.

"Come on, Jack, off your ponka-bean!" Bass Guitarist nudged Jack where his ass would be and not-so-gently kicked him to his feet. "We've got a big show to do!"

"Why's the- stop- stop the room…" Jack mumbled, stumbling on his tiny feet. "I wanna get off…"

Lead Singer Sid and the rest of the band were quickly at the scene of the car, each of them carrying at least part of their equipment. Lead Singer Sid cast an angry glance at Jack, then Bass Guitarist Sid. "What's the hold up?"

"He's dizzy."

"He's what? Fuck dizzy."

Jack could sense it before it could happen. He immediately got his sight back and jumped to hide behind Sally-

"GAAAAAH!" He was driven to the ground in seconds, Lead Singer Sid standing over him and making sure he stayed still after he was done.

Bass Guitarist Sid huffed angrily. "I was getting it!"

"No you weren't!" Lead Singer Sid's head snapped up. "I hear somebody coming! Hide it, quick!"

The Sids panicked and formed a wall in front of Jack, Drummer Sid hurrying to kick the unconscious skeleton under the car. The band forced a smile at the approaching fangirl, Lead Singer Sid smiling the widest.

"Oh, you're Deathplosion!" She caught Lead Singer Sid in a bear-hug and squealed girlishly. "I love your special effects! Your band is amazing!"

She ran off without another word, leaving Lead Singer Sid reeling in a primal delight.

"YES!" Lead Singer Sid pumped his fist. "Guys, at this rate, we are set to win the all-state death metal championship and lose our virginity in the same night!" He grabbed Sally by the arm and pushed her towards the car. "Sally, get the rest of Sid's drums. Sid, you get your bass."

Rhythm Guitarist Sid raised his hand. "Uh, I don't play the bass."

The lead singer's enthusiasm was quickly replaced by a surge of anger. "Not you, nimrod! Come on, we've gotta warm up." Lead Singer Sid stormed off to the stage, the others obediently following.

Sally took what was left of the drum set, not looking anywhere but directly in front of her. She thought nothing. She said nothing. She felt nothing. She simply had to get the drums-

There was a ruffle of fabric behind her. She flinched in anticipation of Jack, feeling nothing. Instead, she sighed, gathered the drums in her arms, and walked back to the main building in search of her brother.

Deathplosion started playing at 7:00 sharp.

Deathplosion was booed off the stage at 7:00:15 sharp.

The band ducked into the break room at fast as they could, pressing the door shut behind them. Lead Singer Sid hissed through his teeth at his near-comatose sister in the back corner. "WHERE IS HE?!"

She didn't look away from the opposite wall. "Who?"

"Jack, moron! Why isn't he out there with us?!"

"Jack?" Her eyes flashed nervously, and her body began to tense. "I-I haven't seen him since I got inside."

"Yeah, right." Lead Singer Sid reached in his pocket and pulled out the remote, pressing the pain button. "Come out, demon, we know-"

"REGGIE!" Drummer Sid jumped in fear. The band screamed in shock and backed away from Lead Singer Sid.

It was a TV remote control.

Lead Singer Sid crushed it in his hand. "JACK!"

&&&&&&&&&

It started as a warm feeling on his stomach, and it slowly crept out towards his fingers and toes and, finally, his face. He awoke slowly, feeling a warm hand stroking his aching spine and gentle words behind whispered into his "ear".

"It's okay… it's okay… we're not gonna hurt you…"

"Woah! Tyler, look, he blinks!"

"Ssh, Jessie! He's asleep!"

"No, he's getting up! Come on, man! You can do it!"

Jack pushed himself onto his hip, coughing into his fist. "What… Sally?"

His eyes focused on a man's face; square, solidly built, with a long black mullet and equally dark eyes. He held out his hand invitingly, giving Jack the first smile he'd seen in days. "Hi. I'm Tyler."

"Tyler?" Jack shook his head, making what was left of his brain rattle painfully in his skull. "OW!"

The pain was quickly replaced with a euphoric rush of pleasure which dissipated just as fast, taking his throbbing headache and general body-ache with it. He, caught off guard, moaned out loud and fell backwards into a pair of arms with feminine hands. He took the arms by the wrist and spun around, hoping to see Sally-

Instead, a sweet-faced Indian girl smiled at him and patted his skull. "Hi. Feel better?" She pushed him out of her grip. "Tyler wants to shake your hand."

Jack's head began to swim again, but for a different reason. The last thing he even remembered was the smell of gravel and feet, and now he was in a dark room with a mullet-ed man and an Indian woman-

"Hey, uh-" Tyler took Jack's closest hand and shook it lightly. "What's your name?"

"Jack," the skeleton responded automatically. "Jack Skellington."

Tyler smiled again. And, now that Jack bothered to look, there were three other men in the room, all looking at him with mixes of worried grimaces and relieved smiles. Most of them were dressed in black, and all of them wore boots, but before Jack could size them up any further, Tyler spoke again.

"Well, Jack-Jack Skellington, I'm glad you're feeling better."

The Indian woman giggled airily. Tyler began again, pointing to each human as he went. "This is Nate, Jessie, Nayana, Joe, and Carlos. We're the band Monsterocalypse."

"Monsterocalypse?" Jack scratched his hand. "Oh, you're that band that the idiot is trying to-"

Then it hit him. Cold, hard, heart-stopping fear for his undead-life. He jumped to his feet and stumbled back into a wall, eyes scanning for a door. "NO! Where is he?! He can't know I'm here! The remote, the book-"

"Jack! Jack! Calm down!" Tyler reached next to him and held up a book… a thin leather tome…

Jack's "heart" began to pounding softer in his ribcage, but the sight of the book in Tyler's hands made him even more uneasy. "How did you get that?"

Tyler made a passive shrugging gesture. "Well, I didn't really get it. Nayana did."

Nayana, Jack's previous pillow, waved with a modest giggle. She peeped in a voice that fit a six-year-old better than her, "I stole it."

"I've been reading it…" Tyler mentioned, motioning for Jack to sit down. The skeleton looked for a chair, but saw only a rather large collection of cardboard boxes and foot lockers. He waited for a few seconds before deciding to squat on the floor instead.

Tyler flipped the only page of the book. "You have to do… basically anything I say? That's kind of a raw deal for you, isn't it?"

Jack blinked. "Raw deal?"

"I mean, you're just my slave." Tyler snapped the book shut. "You need at least some consideration in this deal, right?"

There was an uncomfortable silence. Jack kept staring at Tyler, eyes slowly furrowing in a mix of concentration and disbelief. Nayana began to squirm restlessly.

Jack finally spoke with, "Skip the bullshit."

"Right." Tyler laid the book down on the floor between him and Jack. "I don't like Deathplosion. They're giving our genre of music an even worse name than it already has. They're rude to all the other bands; they're only doing the music for the money. If they reach the top of the leagues in heavy metal, they'll ruin any opportunity all of the other bands have for legitimate musical careers. Do you get me?"

"Completely." The skeleton leaned back, Nayana and Jessie's hands considerately propping him up.

"I want you to help me. I want to give them a nasty scare. Get them out of the business for good. Can you help me?"

Tyler flinched back a few inches while Jack's grin split across his face. "Scaring. Now, THAT is something I can agree to. What's the catch?"

With a nod, Tyler picked up the book and pointed to the middle of the page. "Tell me how to pronounce this word."

"… You know…" Jack warned. "That if you do this, I'll have to take you back to Halloween Town with me."

Now Tyler blinked, searching his band mates for solace. They gave him shrugs and confounded looks, and he finally shrugged his shoulders. "If it makes the world a better place for music, that's good enough for me."

Jack held out his hand. "I like you, Tyler."

Tyler took his hand. "I like you too, Jack."

&&&&&&&&

Lead Singer Sid growled to himself. "Come on, we're going home. He's probably at the house. Stupid demon, he's gonna GET IT!"

* * *

On second thought, not awesome. That sucked. I'M SORRY, I just want to get this finished so BAD! 


	7. Chapter 7

Slave to the Music

Changed slightly from the original version. Added a little more expository stuff, a little more "in the character's head" stuff, little more dialogue, but the premise is still the same. Oh, by the way, TNBC belongs to Tim Burton (says the girl that didn't know not giving the original owners credit got you banned from Mediaminer).

It was high noon, and the sky was twilight orange. The drive home from Outragalazania was tense, and it only became more so as the surrounding air turned colder and the once-green trees along the highway began to wither and die. The wind howled as if in pain, pushing the car towards the median and (once they got into the city) onto the curb. Lead Singer Sid, in a moment of relative genius, decided to park across from his house instead of directly in front of it like he usually did.

Standing outside of the door were six people, each with their legs spread strongly and their arms crossed. With three on each side, the large group framed the unmistakable silhouette of Jack Skellington and stood watch directly in front of the front door, waiting for the band to leave the car.

That's what Sally would have seen if Lead Singer Sid had not made her duck her head under the door for the later half of the trip along with the rest of the band.

"Crap..." Lead Singer Sid ducked his head as far as he could under the steering wheel. "Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap..."

"What's the matter?" Lead Guitarist Sid moaned.

"Stalkers."

Bass Guitarist Sid gasped. "Hurray!"

"Not that kind of stalker, the bad kind of stalker!" Lead Singer Sid growled. "And they have Jack!"

The sound of his name made Sally jump to attention. "What?!"

"Shutthefuckup!" Lead Singer pushed his head farther down in the seat. "Whatarewegonnado?"

"Maybe..." Rhythm Guitarist Sid reasoned. "Maybe if we wait, like, for a long time... they'll like, go away..."

"They're not going to go away." Sally huffed angrily. "They're just going to stay there until they force one of us out."

"How do you know?" Drummer Sid growled.

"Because we all just sent 2 hours in the car! Eventually one of us will have to go to the bathroom!"

The band mates looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Sally was out on the concrete.

"I hate you." Sally dusted herself off and righted herself, a loud crick resounding from her lower back. "Okay. Let's do this."

Sally stepped boldly out onto the lawn. The stalkers and Jack didn't move, only met her eyes and watched her. With every step, their stares threatened to push her back at least three feet. She finally took a deep breath once she was in shouting distance. "Jack, what the hell are you-"

Jack waved his arm. Darkness swam over sky and threw the whole neighborhood into nighttime, and only the two streetlights closest to the house responded by lighting. Jack smiled proudly and stepped out of the resulting shadow, moving slowly as if through water. "You know, Sally, you haven't given me too many reasons to keep liking you lately...

"And this little number isn't helping your case at _all_."

One of the larger of the stalkers made a small motion with his hand, and the six of them marched towards Sally in sync.

And then Sally saw their faces. "Wait, you! Y-you're Monsterocalypse! I saw you at Outragalazania!"

"Funny!" Tyler sang in an impossibly sardonic voice that hit Sally so hard it hurt her. "That's exactly where we found this poor, beaten little skeleton. We couldn't help but adopt him. But, I'm pretty sure he was abused; he's got some problems with snapping at people he doesn't like..."

Jack opened his mouth, still grinning, and a bestial growl rumbled out of his throat. He lunged forward at Sally-

And was smashed into 206 pieces by Bass Guitarist Sid's bass guitar. Sally jumped behind the bassist, who was stuck in a pose he hadn't used since t-ball. "Jack, what are you doing?!"

The piles of bones that was previously known as Jack Skellington hovered above the ground for a few seconds before forming back into their right shape. He crouched low to the ground, arms spread to steady himself. "Oh, so we're on speaking terms again, are we?"

He was answered by Bass Guitarist Sid holding the body of the guitar in front of his nose. "Dude... _too_ metal."

Jack only laughed, and it was a cruel laugh. "Looks like I finally got it right just in time for you to not like it."

"What the hell are you doing?" The band quickly formed a line in front of Sally, Lead Singer Sid taking the lead. "Get back over here!"

Sally moved to where her face just peeked out from behind the band. Her voice came out as a pathetic squeal, "Jack, you promised!"

And just for a moment, Jack looked confused... then guilty...

"Jack doesn't answer to you anymore," Tyler laughed.

Monsterocalypse formed a v-shape behind the crouching skeleton, who in turn stood up straight and stepped back to the group. Tyler reached deep into his jeans pocket and pulled out what looked like an Atari paddle with a dial instead of a joystick. "I said the spell in the book. Now, Jack is obligated to do whatever I say."

Tyler turned the knob to the right. Jack's entire body shivered in pleasure.

"And, oh, do I like following his orders," said Jack with an ominous purr. "Like the one he gave me to make sure you don't make it out of this neighborhood alive."

Tyler pointed the remote at Lead Singer Sid's face. "Get him, Jack."

"GLADLY!"

One of Jack's ear-shattering roars blinded the band. Lead Singer Sid felt a sharp pain under his chin and a sensation sort of like falling- When he got his sight back, he saw a jet of fire screaming past his head before landing on the car's hood.

"GET HIM!"

The rest of Deathplosion rushed the skeleton! Monsterocalypse met what members they could catch. Jack bounded above the scuffle and charged to Lead Singer Sid again.

Meanwhile, Sally had gotten her bearings and quickly hid from the fight. Her attempt to open the front door of the house had failed; as she pulled out her key, the keyhole turned into a set of teeth and threatened to bite off her fingers. She instead ducked behind the hedge in front of the bathroom window.

She watched the fight intently, looking for some way to stop the madness-

There was Tyler, staying as far away from the carnage as possible and turning his Atari paddle. She watched him and Jack, who was still chasing after Lead Singer Sid. Every time he faced a Monsterocalypse member, Jack twitched and Tyler turned the paddle to the left. Deathplosion members were met with a smile and attacked, and Tyler turned the paddle to the right.

"Pain and pleasure..." she gasped. "I've got to get it away from him!"

She jumped out of the hedge and dug her elbow into Tyler's back. Tyler shouted, and the remote went flying into the fight. Sally choked on her own shock and ran, leaving Tyler dazed but otherwise okay.

Jack was right in the middle of another breath of fire when suddenly his chest locked up in searing pain. He shouted and turned away from Lead Singer Sid on reflex, waiting to focus on another face to attack-

Drummer Sid had the book, which folded into itself and became an RC controller. Drummer Sid's face split into a childish grin and immediately started fiddling with the joysticks.

And Jack's mind disintegrated into shock waves of torment. His eyes welled up with tears before the pleasure came back; his body moved before his mind thought about who he was about to hit.

It was Tyler. "Jack, don't-"

Another pain surge. Jack fell in a crumpled heap at Tyler's feet. Now Nayana had the book, and it melted into (of all things) an iPod mini. Jack struggled to get to his feet before Rhythm Guitarist Sid fell on top of him.

Rhythm Guitarist Sid got up. Jack didn't.

In the meanwhile, Sally hadn't even noticed that Jack had fallen and had taken refuge around the corner of the house.

In the mean-meanwhile, Tyler had joined the fray after Lead Singer Sid pulled Carlos off of Lead Guitarist Sid; so no one had even noticed that the book (which had been a toy steering wheel, a PSP, a Wii-mote, and a Koleco vision controller since Drummer Sid had dropped it) had skidded to a stop right in front of Sally's knees.

No one except Sally.

"His book!" she scooped it up and opened to the only page. The leather was flaking and the spine was bent, and it worried Sally for a moment, but she shook it off. "There's got to be some way to stop this!"

She read...

It wasn't the spell. It was a list of names. Names she didn't even recognize in incredibly tiny print, and they filled the entire page and seemed to leak onto the back. Sally squinted her eyes to make sense of the loopy writing. A name, then two dates than usually spanned several millennia, then a statement such as "natural causes", "drowning", or "execution". She kept scanning-

And found the name "Stanford Skellington, 1201-1398, death by master."

Sally gasped, and suddenly her eyes could focus on every letter.

Every name that followed was a Skellington. Every name that followed was only a few hundred years long. Every name was "death by master". Sally kept going onto the next page, scanning and scanning until she got to the two last names.

"Johnathan A. Skellington, 1792-2012, death by Hinterland beasts."

Sally swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Jack Skellington, 1900-"

The letters were faint, but visible. It looked as if the ink was rising up from under the paper, waiting to make itself permanent.

"...2012, death by masters...

She dropped the book, her heart pounding. She looked up. Jack was lying on the ground not moving. She scrambled to pick up the book. "Oh, god, what have I done?!"

Her entire conscious mind began to rearranged itself; this wasn't about keeping her brother, this was about rescuing someone's son! She was about to kill some skeleton mother's baby, and there was nothing she could do about it! Oh, Jack, this wasn't his fault. There had to be something, anything, in this book other than names! She had to help Jack!

The writing disappeared. Sally flipped back to the front of the page.

"Eerf mih te sothsiwi."

"Erf mih teh soth-seewee?" Remembering the previous spell, Sally pieced the words together backwards. I-w-i-s-h-t-o...

A warm wave of realization swept through her chest. She recited the spell. "Eerf mih te sothsiwi..."

Jack suddenly gasped for breath. It felt like he'd just come back from one of Dr. Finklestien's electro-shock therapy sessions; all of his senses were sharp, almost as if he wasn't under... the spell...

Sally smiled. "I wish to set him free..."

The book burst into a flash of light and vanished. Jack's eyes shot to the spot out of reflex. "What happened?"

Sally stumbled out from her hiding place and grappled Jack's stomach, and for the first time since he had arrived, he felt no pain. "Sally-"

"Jack, the book!" Sally pulled away to meet Jack's thoroughly confused face. "The book- I-I-I- it- blew up!"

Apparently, "it- blew up" is the keyword that makes feuding band mates pay attention to their immediate surroundings. Every face turned to the ground, every hand patted its pocket.

"The remote?!"

"Where is it?"

"I just had it!"

Lead Singer Sid met eyes with the skeleton. "AAH! SID, GET HIM!"

And for the first time...

For probably the last time...

The right Sid got the message.

Bass Guitarist Sid swung his bass guitar at Jack's ribcage.

And hit Sally.

The event happened in slow motion. First, there was a horrifying, wet crack. Jack reached out to catch Sally's falling body, but when he felt no resistance, his fingers slipped. Her body hit the ground with a soft thump.

Her spirit rolled out of her mouth in a tiny, white ball visible only to Jack, only to disappear with a quiet poof.

And then it was very quiet...

Jack started to shiver. His breath caught in his throat, coming out in choked gasps.

Bass Guitarist Sid, stuck again in the t-ball swing, gulped. "I'm fucked."

"Damn right, you're **fucked**!"

Fire from all directions! Deathplosion and Monsterocalypse bunched together as snakes ripped themselves from the ground and snapped at their heels. Spiders clenched around their throats; bats swooped down from the sky and clawed at their hearts. Jack appeared from the flames, eyes blazing and jagged teeth jutting out from his jaw.

"You all want terror?! I'LL GIVE YOU TERROR!"

Everything disappeared into an orchestra of screams...

Epilogue soon.


	8. Epilogue

Slave to the Music

The epilogue of the fic. Now it doesn't suck. Tim Burton owns TNBC. Did I mention that earlier? Anyway, let's go.

Jack was greeted as a hero when he returned to Halloween Town. His brothers carried him inside on their shoulders; his mother would not stop bragging to the townsfolk about how Jack had singlehandedly saved their future generations from being slaves to the living. His best friend the Mayor led the town in song, and had the resulting tune written down and commemorated as Jack's anthem. Jack told them all the story. About the greedy band leader, the torture, the room (there was much retching and covering of mentioned body parts), the Monsterocalypse and his eventual release from the living world.

Jack didn't have the heart to say anything else. He felt horrible. Horrible he couldn't kill off each and every one of those stupid metal-heads for what they did to Sally (or else have to put up with them forever). Horrible that he couldn't bare to tell his family that he, really, had nothing to do with liberating his kin and future children. Horrible that he couldn't tell his father, face to face, that he had really been trying to save his life, and he was sorry.

And horrible that, after two weeks of being home, he still hadn't heard from Sally. He checked every grave and never saw her name.

He stayed that way for a month. His friends all tried to get him in the upcoming holiday spirit with all sorts of sugar candy skulls, fermented pumpkin juice, and local troll women who wrote ghastly little stories about them and him and the children they would have together, but nothing got him out of his depression.

Well, he did a little when his mother ordered all of the local Hinterland beasts killed, but felt horrible again when they found what was left of his father, very re-dead and very unable to apologize to. The funeral put him back in his horrendous depression. Not even a new pet (a little ghost mutt Jack had named "Zero" in a cruel snap of anger) could cheer him.

One day, Dr. Finklestien suggested going to the spot where he had lost his father to try and deal with the pain. Jack wandered into the woods, Zero at his heels, until he found the exact same spot he had run into the Hinterland beasts (recognizable only by the fact that this was the place his legs felt like they were ready to fall off).

"Mmph!"

It came from the ground. Zero barked at the noise and slipped into the dirt before Jack could turn to meet it. "Zero?"

Zero barked from the soil and poked his nose back up through the dust, almost as if he acknowledged Jack's newfound concern. The puppy quickly fell back into the dirt.

"Zero, get back here." Jack tapped his leg, annoyed. "Zero. Bad dog. Heel!"

A hand.

Very small, very blue from decay, Zero placed the tiny thing in Jack's hand and waited for praise. Jack touched the palm, slowly and softly. It reminded him of something-

It clutched his finger and spooked him. After a quick laugh, he turned back to Zero. "Never mind. _Good_ dog, Zero. Go find some more, go!"

Zero happy jumped back into the dirt. The next thing Zero brought back was a full set of _very female_ hips.

Jack blushed and tentatively, with his eyes screwed shut and his fingers barely touching the skin, pushed it out of his view. "Figures, he's a dog..."

His tail moved in and out of the topsoil like a shark's fin. From here, another hand. From there, an upper arm. An ear, a shoulder, a leg- wait that leg looked familiar- no!

Finally, Zero brought up a coughing head with long, flowing red hair. Her eyes immediately went to the skeleton, and they both gasped.

"JACK!"

"SALLY!" Jack grabbed Sally's head and kissed her, elated that this time, she returned it. They held on for what seemed like hours (and could have been, for neither of them needed to breathe now). He only found the mental strength to stop when Sally bit his tongue. "Ow!"

Sally's face contorted as she licked her back teeth. "You hit a filling."

"I hit a fill-"

Sally smiled jokingly. Jack pulled her under his chin and cradled her, Sally saying her "thank you"s with an occasional kiss and, well, "Thank you"s.

Without warning, Jack's bony shoulders twitched, and he sniffed. "Jack, are you crying?"

"N-no."

"Let me see."

Jack pulled Sally's head away so she could see his face. His lip was quivering. Sally sighed and went to hug hi- oh, wait, she had no arms. They were currently behind Jack, each trying to hug what looked like her butt and a tree stump. "Well, I'm here now. Once I'll all back together, you can cry on my shoulder all you want."

"How did you get down here, anyway?" Jack sat down and rested the back of Sally's head on his knees. Sally expected to feel the comforting shift of weight that came with resting her head against something but, since there was no weight to shift, she felt nothing. Her head spun at the odd, indescribable feeling.

Sally's previously happy face turned sour. "Reggie. He chopped me into pieces and buried me in the Lothlorian's back yard."

"Oh, no!"

Without warning, Zero dropped one of Sally's breasts in Jack's lap and sat on it proudly. Sally's face turned purple. "What is that?!"

Jack's eyes went straight to the offended lump of fat, and he quickly found he couldn't pull them back. "That, um-"

"Well, stop staring at it!"

Jack stood up as if something he thought was disgusting (who knows what that is in Halloween Town) had dropped into his lap, but he didn't stop staring. "I-I-I can't!"

"Yes you can! Now do it!"

"I can't! I am a man, after all!"

"I let a pervert rescue me! I can't believe it! Where's my leg, I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Can't kick it if you can't find it!"

Jack quickly ran back towards town, Sally in arm, while Zero followed swiftly behind with the offending body part.

DONE!


End file.
